Fender Rocks Global Tax Compliance with Avalara

Automated tax compliance helps Fender scale ecommerce and subscriptions across global markets

DURHAM, N.C., Feb. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Avalara, Inc., the agentic tax and compliance leader, today announced that Fender Musical Instruments Corporation is using Avalara solutions to scale U.S. sales tax and international VAT compliance as the iconic brand expands its direct-to-consumer ecommerce and digital subscription offerings.

As Fender broadened its business beyond a traditional wholesale model to include ecommerce and digital services such as Fender Play, tax complexity increased significantly. Selling directly to customers in Europe, Australia, Japan, and New Zealand introduced varying VAT rules, digital services requirements, and filing obligations that were difficult to manage manually with a lean tax team.

"Shifting to direct-to-consumer and subscription-based sales fundamentally changed our tax profile," said Ryan Jones, Tax Director at Fender. "We needed a scalable, automated solution that could support global VAT compliance without adding operational complexity. With so many jurisdictions, the complexity makes it clear you need a system. Avalara gives us a set-it-and-forget-it approach."

By integrating Avalara's tax compliance technology with its SAP ERP and ecommerce platforms, Fender automated VAT calculation and reporting across multiple jurisdictions. Avalara's continuously updated tax rates and rules help ensure accurate treatment for both physical products and digital services as regulations evolve worldwide.

With Avalara in place, Fender has reduced manual processes and compliance risk while maintaining accuracy across its growing international footprint. Automation enables the Fender tax team to focus on strategic initiatives while remaining audit-ready as global revenue continues to expand.

"Fender's journey reflects the challenges many global brands face as they scale direct sales and digital services," said Liz Armbruester, Chief Customer Officer at Avalara. "We're proud to support this iconic company as it grows with confidence by automating complex VAT and indirect tax compliance worldwide."

Find more information about the Avalara and Fender success story here.

About Avalara 
Avalara is the agentic tax and compliance leader. For more than two decades, Avalara has developed one of the most expansive libraries of tax content and integrations in the industry, supporting over 200,000 direct and indirect customers across more than 75 countries. The company's purpose-built AI agents automate end-to-end compliance processes with greater precision, from tax calculations and return filings to exemption certificate management and beyond. For more information, visit Avalara.com.

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SOURCE Avalara, Inc.